Recent scientific discoveries in climatology, animal cognition and
microbiology have radically altered our conceptions of ourselves and the environment
we live in, both on micro and macroscales. Zooming in on the human microbiome
and out to the planetary ecosystem, or even further into infinite cosmic
spaces, the sciences are revealing strange dynamics of human-nonhuman
interconnectedness, doing away with the established anthropocentrism and the
idea of human exceptionalism. Current theoretical discussions revolving around
the human-environment relation have shifted their interests from discourse to
matter, shedding new light on strange bodily assemblages composed of anaerobic
bacteria which live in symbiotic relationships with the human body (Jane
Bennett, Stacy Alaimo), other types of cognition and intelligent life apart
from our own (Steven Shaviro) and, especially, the mechanisms by which human
action, no matter how abstract or invisible, contributes to the global
ecological transformations (Donna Haraway, Timothy Morton). The ultimate effect
of these conceptual transformations is a certain sense of estrangement that is
often, but not necessarily, tied to feelings of unease, horror and/or
fascination. This specific affect is commonly referred to as the weird because
it operates through disrupting our ordinary perception and experience, creating
confusion and a sense of disorientation.
Strange modes of human-nonhuman interactions are steadily pervading
contemporary theoretical thought which analyzes the weird as a specific form of
affect, effect and aesthetics signaled by a sense of wrongness (Mark Fisher).
In conjunction with an increasing awareness of these estranged environments, a
growing tendency towards the aesthetics of the weird is visible in popular
culture and contemporary art production. As a continuation of H.P. Lovecraft’s
weird tradition, “the weird” is now bringing together some of the most exciting
contemporary writers and filmmakers: China Miéville, Elvia Wilk, Caitlin R.
Kiernan, Jeff VanderMeer, Athina Rachel Tsangari and Yorgos Lanthimos, to name
just the most significant ones. Similar tendencies are also evident in TV shows
such as True Detective (inspired by Thomas Ligotti’s nihilistic weird fiction),
Stranger Things and the Twin Peaks revival (echoing Lovecraftian cosmic
horror). The aesthetics of weird is also embraced by musicians such as Björk,
Gazelle Twin, FKA Twigs and inscribed in particular new media art practices,
especially bioart.
In this issue of Pulse, we aim to investigate the aesthetics, politics
and ethics of the weird from various theoretical and disciplinary perspectives,
particularly those within the framework of environmental humanities:
ecocriticism, geocriticism, animal studies, critical plant studies,
posthumanism, new materialism, actor-network theory, queer theory, xenofeminism
etc. How do the sciences estrange our conceptions of the world and how is this articulated
in artistic practices? Starting from the confluence of art and science, our aim
is to map diverse territories of the weird in literature, film, music,
television, video games, visual arts, comic books, dance, theatre and other
media.
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
- theory of the weird: posthumanism, speculative realism, object oriented ontology, new materialism
- cognitive and affective aspects of the weird
- the weird, supernatural and unheimlich
- New Weird and the Other
- speculative fiction, science fiction, horror and weird fiction
- intersections of the weird and grotesque, fantasy, magical realism, etc.
- Anthropocene, deep time and the weird
- animal and plant life and the weird
- multispecies ecologies, human-nonhuman entanglements
- anomalies, mutations and hybrids
- inorganic matter in arts and literature
- eerie landscapes and extinction
- weird bodies: trans-corporeality, queer, transhumanism
Submission deadline: 30 June 2020
We welcome the submission of full articles (5000-6000 words) on these
and related themes. We also publish book reviews (800-1000 words); please get
in touch if there is a book you would like to review.
All articles should be prepared for blind review including the removal
of authorship from the document file information. Submissions should include a
cover sheet in a separately attached document containing: the paper title and
short abstract (ca. 250 words) author’s name, affiliation, word count
(including footnotes & references), and contact information. Article and
cover sheet should be submitted in a .doc, .docx, or .odt (or similar
open-source) file format. PDF submissions are also accepted but previously
stated file formats are preferred where possible. References should be
formatted according to Chicago style (Footnotes and Bibliography).
All articles and related material should be submitted to:
submissions.pulse@gmail.com
For any inquires please feel free to contact us at
pulse.scistudies@gmail.com. Please do not submit articles to this email
address. For general information and to access previous issues of Pulse you can
visit:
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